Christmas Miracle
by goldiejefferson
Summary: Castle and Beckett have to solve a case of mistaken identity at Christmas. Or is it?  Rated extremely clean with a tiny dash of Caskett musings.  Don't own anything mentioned here or in real life for that matter. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Christmas Miracle

Summary: Castle and Beckett have to solve a case of mistaken identity at Christmas. Or is it? Rated extremely clean with a tiny dash of Caskett musings. Don't own anything mentioned here or in real life for that matter. Enjoy!

Chapter One

"Kris Kringle? You're kidding right?" Beckett's disbelief oozed from her posture, facial expression as well as her words.

It was early, cold and gray and the snow that had fallen for the past two days had caused the expected commuter headaches. Beckett hated snow. She hated the impact on her shoe selection since she had yet to find boots that she could run in the snow with out breaking a leg but didn't make her feel like a duck clopping around the precinct. She also hated the fact that both Lanie and Esposito were late to the scene because of the fluffy white stuff. Yes, it was great they were back together but maybe she should suggest that their winter residence be at Esposito's since he lived in Manhattan rather than Queens? Ryan pulled her attention back to the scene at hand by holding up the victim's wallet.

"Says so right here and get this he lives on 25 Main St North Pole, Alaska." Ryan held up the Alaska license and smirked as Beckett grabbed it out of his hands comparing the state issued picture with the man lying slumped against the snow pile.

"There are people, real people, getting killed in this city every day. And we end up with this? What the hell was he doing in New York City? Where is Lanie? I need a TOD. Oh, great...Castle's theories are going to go over the top with this one..." she shook her head but there was a small curve to her lips that did not go unnoticed by Ryan. Castle's hypotheses were legendary. When she wasn't annoyed, tired, hungry or stumped by the case at hand, Beckett actually enjoyed going down the rabbit hole. She knew it was a chance to take the ride with him, the creative ride he must go on each time he wrote his novels. That type of talent was so foreign to her pragmatic self that the momentary escape was...well, magical. But then again, when wasn't she annoyed, tired, hungry or stumped by the case at hand so the magical rides were rare indeed.

"Ryan, run down next of kin and last known addresses on Mr...our victim. Text Esposito and have him meet us at the precinct and start working on why he was in New York." She sensed Castle behind her even before she saw Ryan's face.

"Are you kidding me?" Castle practically squealed in her ear, reaching around her right shoulder to steady the license in her hand raising it up towards the face of the body at her feet. He was pressed against her back, practically cheek to cheek and she felt the beginnings of a blush start when he obliviously continued his rant. "Why didn't you call me sooner? It's mid December and we have a dead santa on our hands! Oh this is good, or bad, very bad, depending on how you look at it. You do realize where we are we're on right? How'd he die?" He absentmindedly swung the coffee carrier he held in his left hand over and handed coffees to eagerly outstretched hands. One taste had Ryan and Beckett switching their cups but both gratefully breathed in the warm steam.

"Lanie and CSU are on their way to canvas so we don't have much to go on. It looks like it might be blunt force trauma, exposure or...what are you doing?" Castle had bent down to look at something slightly off the sidewalk away from the body.

"Does that look like a hoof print to you?" he said to no one in particular.

Ryan snorted into his coffee.

"Have CSU check the roofs around here too" he was now looking up at the buildings surrounding the intersection. "Tread marks, deep long impressions." Beckett actually couldn't take her eyes off of his face. He was scanning the buildings, the walls, the ground in such seriousness she wanted to laugh at his intensity but than she realized he was being her. He had her same mannerisms, same look and was making similar jumps except she wouldn't be jumping in those directions.

"Castle..."

"What do you think?" Ryan interrupted her unable to wait for the theories to start coming.

"Depends on the cause of death I guess. Rogue elf maybe. Motive could be production problems, union issues. Not enough obvious trauma to the body for it to be from a long fall so can probably rule out any equipment failures. Marital problems? Anyone talk to the Mrs?" Castle turned around to a spontaneous burst of laughter.

"Wow. Beckett's right. You really have outdone yourself. Talk to the Mrs." Ryan turned and walked away shaking his head.

"C'mon Castle. CSU is here. Why don't we let them do their job and see what they come up with?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Admit it. Admit that this is looking less and less like a series of coincidences." Castle had his arms crossed over his chest and was staring at the murder board that he insisted she write on in red and green marker.

"Admit what? That our victim is Santa Claus? I think someone spiked your gingerbread latte this morning Castle if you think that I would ever admit to something like that." She could feel his slight chuckle as they both continued leaning against her desk staring at the board.

"The evidence is right in front of you, Beckett" Castle gestured to the board. "First, the name, Kris Kringle. Second, he's from the North Pole!"

"Alaska, Castle. He's from North Pole, Alaska."

Castle continued undeterred. "Third, he has a striking resemblance to Father Christmas. The beard, the hair, the ruddy complexion."

"That could be post-mortem frost bite, Castle."

"Fourth, the location of his body...34th Street!"

"Fifth, he's a toy maker..." Esposito walked up to the board with his notebook in his hand.

"Shut the front door!" Castle jumped up and the desk slid back slightly at the momentum. "Are we being Punk'd?" Castle smirked and started looking around for hidden cameras. Exasperated, Beckett threw her hands up and turned away running right into Captain Gates.

"I assure you Mr. Castle that this is not reality television but a real life homicide investigation. A dead businessman in New York City during the holidays does not go over well with city government, your friend the mayor in particular." Castle tried not to react to the mention of the mayor's name but his cheek muscle twitched slightly. "Esposito continue please."

"Our vic is a card carrying member of ASTRA : the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. They had a toy convention this past weekend at the Marriott in Times Square. He checked in on the 13th and out on the afternoon of the 16th. Lanie puts time of death sometime on the night of the 16th or early the morning on the 17th."

"Has she determined the cause of death yet?" Gates directed this question at Beckett who quickly stopped glaring at Castle.

"No, sir. Lanie is still running toxicology but her preliminary investigation did not uncover clear evidence of foul play."

"With the exception of being dead in a snow bank thousands of miles from home." Castle interjected.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Mr. Castle. We treat this as a homicide until the evidence tells us otherwise. Has Ryan had any luck with the next of kin?"

"Yes. Mrs...Kringle and her daughter are on their way to New York but won't be here until tomorrow night. Not many flights options out of Alaska." Beckett purposefully kept her eyes locked on Gates ignoring Castles' hands forming a sleigh and reindeer.

"Good, keep me posted. This is a political hot potato right now so I want some answers ASAP." Gates walked back towards her office and shut the door.

As soon as the door shut Beckett stepped close enough to Castle to smell his cologne.

"What the hell is wrong with you Castle! The woman can't stand you on a normal day, and this is turning out to be an extremely abnormal day! Are you trying to get kicked out of here? This may be a joke to you but Gates is right. A man, a real man, is dead and we have a job to do."

"I'm sorry. You're right. I should be more respectful." His quick remorse seemed genuine but Beckett was suspicious. As he turned away she heard him softly singing..."Santa Claus is comin' to town."

Beckett stared at him one last moment and then turned back to Esposito.

"Espo get in touch with this Toy Association. Find out what you can about our victim and his involvement at the convention. Also send Ryan over to the Marriott to see if there's any surveillance footage of him while he was a guest."

"Already on it. I set up a meeting with the Director of the Association Diana Walker at their headquarters. I'll head over to the hotel with Ryan, do you two want to talk to the Director?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I can't believe Kris is dead." Castle and Beckett were sitting across from Diana Walker, Director of ASTRA. She was genuinely distraught at the news and had dabbed at her eyes repeatedly with a tissue balled up in her hand.

"We're very sorry Ms. Walker. We'd like to ask you some questions about if you can handle it." When Diana nodded, Beckett continued. "How long have you known Kris?"

"Everyone knew Kris. I'm not sure I would say I knew him well though. I've been director for the past six years. I would see him at least once a year at this convention and speak to him a few more times about industry or association issues." She paused to dab again. "Seeing him at this convention was always such a highlight, you know? I mean not for the obvious reasons, the looks and the name, although..." she laughed lowly and Beckett realized she really wasn't that much older than herself.

"He was such a wonderful man. So caring, about everyone. ASTRA isn't a powerhouse association. While I'm proud that we are the largest independent toy association in the country I don't pretend we're in the same league as the Mattels or Disneys. But our mission is what matters. This is a group of manufacturers and retailers who are passionate about toys but even more importantly passionate about the children. Kris exemplified that in all ways. He was a true artist."

Diana had walked to the other side of the desk and sat down in the third chair. "When my daughter was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago Kris checked in with me every few weeks to see how she was doing. Do you know how remarkable that is? This is a man who I see once or twice a year and he reached out to me that frequently? My own family didn't do as much."

Diana got up and turned to the bookshelf to the side of her desk. It was a fiberboard bookshelf that looked to be sagging under the weigh of binders and toy prototypes. Diana carefully reached to the third shelf and brought down a snow globe. But when she handed it to Beckett it appeared to be more of a prism than a globe. Inside was a fantastic snow scene that changed and caught the light in different ways whenever Beckett moved it back and forth. She looked up at Diana waiting for an explanation.

"Kris made that for my daughter two years ago for Christmas. He knew the bone marrow transplant was going to keep her secluded in the hospital for a month or more and he told me he wanted her to be able to have something that would change even though her current scenery might not. As you can see he was an incredibly talented artist."

Beckett finally handed the globe to Castle who she could tell was itching to get his hands on it. He immediately held it upside down and watched the tiny snowflakes cover the scene and catch the light.

"This is extraordinary." he whispered.

"Yes it is. Kris made all of it, the wooden base, the glass prism, the snow and scenery. No one knows how he's able to produce such intricate work. He even took the time to engrave a message to my daughter on the bottom".

Castle read aloud. "To Susan, you are your own Christmas Miracle"

"Mrs Walker. Did you see Kris during the convention?"

"Just briefly. I saw him the first evening at the cocktail hour and than at the closing keynote. Obviously now I wish I had made more time to speak to him."

"What goes on in these conventions? Would Kris have met with other people privately at all?"

"Oh yes. Networking with other attendees is one of the highlights of our meetings. In fact, my assistant Sarah can print you out the list of one on one meetings that got scheduled through us via the convention website. Kris may have scheduled others on his own once he was here, we wouldn't have records of that." She walked back to her computer and started typing. "I just emailed Sarah."

Beckett continued. "Would you say that Kris had any enemies? I mean this type of talent might have caused some professional jealousy?" She raised her hands to lightly touch the prism that Castle was still holding.

"I can't think of anyone who would want to cause him harm, no. I mean there's always a little bit of professional envy. Someone's toy gets picked up by a major chain, gets some national press. It happens. But in general we have a very supportive membership here." Diana paused and looked down at her desk for a moment before continuing.

"Detective, I know how this all looks. When I took this job five years ago and started to get to know the members I was as skeptical as you when I saw Kris' name on the roster. And then when I met him. Well, you can imagine I thought we had a wackadoodle on our hands." She and Beckett shared a knowing smile. "But after I got to know him I realized that he was so genuine. The real deal."

Beckett had almost forgotten Castle was there until she heard his soft, hopeful words. "Santa Claus?"

Diana looked directly at Castle, smiled and shook her head. "Santa? No! But let me tell you if there was ever an opening...he'd be the man for the job." She stood up and smoothed out her skirt. "I'm sorry to cut this short but I have another meeting shortly. Sarah should have that list for you and please, let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Oh." She paused at the door as she was seeing them out. "I know there will be questions from the members. Do you know if there's any public statement I can circulate to them about the cause of death, maybe from his family?

"His family is flying in tomorrow afternoon so as soon as we have anything we will let you know. Thank you again for your help Mrs. Walker." Beckett walked to the door turning back to watch Castle hand the snow prism back to Diana with two hands. They walked to the outer desk and Sarah handed them the list of meetings they needed.

"Is he really gone?" Sarah asked quietly. "Kris is dead."

"I'm sorry but yes. Did you know know him well?" Beckett asked quietly to the young assistant.

"Not well no. But I am in charge of a lot of the convention details so I speak to members frequently. It was so much fun to call Kris. To hear his deep voice and laugh. He was always so...sweet." She sniffled slightly then turned to answer a phone call.

Beckett was surprised that Castle waited as long as he did to speak after they left the building.

"So...thoughts now?" They were walking down the street towards Beckett's car and easily matched strides on the crunchy snow.

"About what, Castle? It sounds like Mr. Kringle, if that's even his real name, was a very nice man that came to an unfortunate end but leaves behind a wonderful legacy." Beckett unlocked the car and slid in, surprised when Castle didn't follow suit. She saw him standing in front of the car, mouth open staring at her. Taking a deep breath she got back out of the car.

"Get in the car Castle."

"You didn't get it, did you?" Castle put his arms over his chest and looked stunned

"Get what?" Beckett's voice rose in irritation. Nothing bothered her more than when Castle seemed to think he had information that she didn't, and rather than just sharing it, made her chase her tale for his enjoyment.

"The name reference? Diana's daughter?" Beckett gave no response. "Diana Walker's daughter...Susan? Susan Walker?" Still nothing. "Dear god did you grow up in a jar? Miracle on 34th St? Eight year old Natalie Wood as Susan Walker the girl who was too serious to believe in Santa Claus, aka Kris Kringle. The inscription on the snow globe was to Susan Walker. That's clue number six."

"I'm aware of the reference Castle but I'm only going to say this one more time. Our victim is not Santa Claus. Now get in the car I got a text from Lanie. She found something."

The drive to the precinct was quiet and Beckett had begun to feel badly. Castle really did look like an overgrown boy who lost his childhood dream.

"You know Castle. I would think you'd be happy. This way you don't have to worry that they are going to cancel Christmas this year on account of the funeral and all." She smiled sideways at him and was relieved to see the corners of his mouth turn up slightly. He stared out the window at the passing scenery.

"I love when it snows in the city. I know it gets dark early, it's cold and I'm sure you hate it because you can't wear your four inch stiletto boots," he grabbed a quick glance at her and saw she was listening. "But I don't know...the whole winter thing. It takes the edge off the city. Slows it down for a bit. Softens it. It really does make the city feel magical."

"Of course he was." Beckett said sarcastically standing under the morgue's harsh florescent lights. Lanie continued to describe what she found, but Beckett was finding it hard to ignore the presence of what she knew was an extremely smug Castle.

"Seven" Castle leaned down and whispered in her ear and she tried hard to stifle the shiver that went down her spine.

"What?" Lanie turned around and eyed the two of them suspiciously.

"Nothing." Castle said quickly. "How do you know our victim was diabetic."

"The blood work came back with glucose levels off the chart and the electrolytes were out of whack. He was extremely dehydrated, something I first thought was due to the cold. But he definitely died from a diabetic coma and heart disease." Lanie stopped to face the two of them. "I did find something else." She said so hesitantly that Beckett knew instantly she wasn't going to like what came next. "I'm still not exactly sure what it is but figured that's your job."

Castle sat in his chair next to Beckett's desk holding the small item under her desk lamp. The dim light of the bullpen seemed even dimmer now that the sun had set and the snow started up again. But both of them were drawn towards the item in his hand. It was definitely a timepiece. Two tiny carved black hands would normally be moving but sat stilled pointing in different directions. Instead of numbers, intricate snowflakes in shimmering shades of white were positioned at the quarter hour spots. But it was the case that mesmerized them. No matter which way you turned it you would notice something new. Castle swore he saw the Chrysler Building pointing out the sunburst pattern and tiny gargoyles as he held it up to the side. Beckett saw water flowing and mountains, and when placed at a certain angle the silhouette of a cabin. They turned it over and over between themselves marveling at the detail and the craftsmanship while trying to figure out how it worked. There was no evidence of a battery compartment, no winding mechanism.

"I've never seen anything like this." Castle finally voiced. He looked up at her and the shadow of the desk lamp on his face made him seem older and more somber. "I don't know what kind of machines could work this intricate but then again, I can't imagine someone doing this by hand."

"Elves?" she said it half in jest but followed it up by placing her hand under his to steady it while she gently took the timepiece out of his palm. He looked up at her and saw that this was a gentle Beckett tease.

"What time did Lanie say our victim died again?" Beckett kept her eyes locked on the watch face as she asked the question.

"Between 12 and 3 am."

"Like 1:36 am?" Castle looked up as she turned the face towards him showing the location of the permanently silenced hands.

Castle stretched back in his chair and looked at his own working watch.

"So now what? I don't think I've ever been on a homicide investigation that turned out to be not a homicide investigation. What's next?"

"Well Esposito didn't turn up anything unusual off of the meeting list we gave him from Sarah. All of the people Mr. Kringle met with were visibly distressed by the news and gave us rock solid alibis and effusive praise for him as a toymaker and a man. So with no forensic evidence suggesting foul play we usually turn it over to uniforms who will work through next of kin and release the body, but...I don't know." Beckett hesitated knowing she might regret what she was about to say, then continued. "You might have gotten to me Castle. With all of your magic talk and Christmas Spirit. But I kind of want to see this one through to the end. Do right by Mr. Kringle."

Castle's face said it all as he leaned towards her and for a heart beat she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead he pushed off of his own knees and stood up, a boyish smile on his face.

"I'm calling it a day. With that admission it certainly won't get any better." He grabbed his coat off the back of his chair swung it on and then did lean in towards her ear. "Remember, Kate, Christmas isn't just a day...it's a frame of mind."

He walked towards the elevator whistling Silent Night.

It was a relatively empty bullpen when he arrived the next day. Granted he was later than usual but had expected to find Esposito and Ryan if not Beckett. He spun around looking for some clues as to where everyone was and unfortunately caught the eye of the Captain.

"Good morning Mr. Castle. That coffee for me?" She nodded at the red Starbucks cup knowing full well whose coffee it was.

"If you want it to be, sir, it shall be yours." He couldn't help himself. He couldn't remember the last time he wasn't able to win over someone but this one was a tough nut to crack. She walked past him without changing expressions. "Your "team" is in interrogation room one. Mrs. Kringle arrived earlier than expected. Must have been a non-stop sled."

Castle almost dropped the coffees. Did Iron Gates just make a joke? To him? The first was almost inconceivable...but the second? Christmas Miracle indeed!

He deposited the coffees on the desk, shed his coat and headed towards the interrogation room as fast as he could. He found Esposito and Ryan in observation and they looked at him with strange expressions. When he turned to watch Beckett handle the grieving widow with typical class and grace he understood their looks.

"Jimminy Christmas. That's Mrs. Claus." Castle bumped his nose against the glass and saw Beckett give them a side glance. They were just settling into their seats so Castle hadn't missed anything. He took in the white hair, curvy appearance and turned back to the boys who smiled and nodded. He realized that he could hear Mrs. Cl...Kringle speaking. Her voice was low but steady and he tried to focus

"Detective Beckett, we can't thank you enough for being so respectful and kind to my family. Outside of our home we don't expect get such treatment. It's heartening to know that even in a city as big as New York, kindness still exists. Kris was a wonderful man, brother and toy maker. He really put his heart and soul into his craft." At the mention of the "we" Castle realized for the first time there was someone else in the room. On the other side of Mrs. Kringle sat, he could only assume, her daughter. She reminded him so much of Alexis it was frightening. Her red hair and complexion would have done it anyway but her blue eyes were fixed on her mother with such tenderness and concern.

"I really am terribly sorry for your loss Mrs Kringle. I do have a few follow-up questions if you don't mind and then we will escort you to view the body and the release procedures. I'm sorry it sounds so impersonal but I hope you understand.

"Of course, Detective. We know you have a job to do."

"Can I confirm that your husband was here for a toy convention this past week?"

"No. I mean Kris was here for a toy convention but he was not my husband." Beckett put her pen down and looked more closely at the woman across from her. "Kris was my brother. Unfortunately I lost my husband over a decade ago and Kris never married. But he loved coming to New York. He felt that there was so much untapped magic in this city, especially at Christmas time. This was his favorite convention location and he saved the unveiling of his most precious toys for this date. Usually I go to the conventions as well but since this is our busiest time of year we don't like leaving the shop unsupervised entirely."

"Oh. I'm sorry. We made an assumption about Mr. Kringle's identity and we shouldn't have." Beckett looked unmistakably flustered as did the men behind the glass.

"It's alright my dear. It happens quite frequently. Please continue with your questions."

"Were you aware of your hus...brother's medical condition? His diabetes?" Beckett asked gently.

"Oh yes. He's had that for years and wasn't the best at following doctors orders." Mrs. Kringle sighed.

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean the sedentary lifestyle we lead making toys, living in Alaska with limited daylight hours, and of course our age." Beckett caught herself and continued.

"Why there? Why Alaska? Couldn't you have made toys anywhere? Diana Walker showed us the snow globe. It was exquisite. Why didn't you move your operation to someplace less remote?"

Castle was surprised. These weren't standard protocol questions. And looking at the daughter he realized she knew that as well. But Mrs. Kringle didn't hesitate.

"It's true we don't get many visitors at the North Pole but we've managed all the same. We are toy makers. Toy making has changed so much in our lifetime. There are so many ways to share your craft these days. And our location has never been an impediment, or an inconvenience, to our way of life." She smiled at Beckett. "You liked the snow prism, Detective?"

"Of course, it was magnificent."

"Yes, it took time but don't masterpieces always take time?" She laid her hands on the table. "May I ask you a question Detective?" When Beckett nodded she continued. "Did my brother have anything on his person? It would look like a pocket watch without the chain."

"As a matter of fact he did." Beckett pulled from under her chair the manilla envelope that held Mr. Kringle's things. The timepiece slid out and on to the table. "It is also a stunning piece of artwork, but I'm afraid it's not working. We think when your brother fell it damaged the internal mechanisms." She watched as Mrs. Kringle gently collected the watch and handed it to her daughter. "Did your brother make it?"

"My brother? Oh dear me, no." Mrs Kringle looked at her daughter and they both laughed lightly. "Kris was more of our "front man". The image we tried to project so it doesn't surprise me that you think that. He unfortunately didn't have any great toy making or artistic talent. No, my great grandmother made that."

"Your great grandmother?"

"Yes, you see toy making has been in my family for many generations and has been passed down. The fatepiece has been passed down with it. From mother to daughter or son."

"Did you say, fatepiece?" Beckett repeated it. "I'm not familiar with that term."

"No. Most aren't. It's a unique item. Designed to tell the "fate" of the owner." Her daughter held it gently in her hand. "My brother met his last week."

Mrs. Kringle gently stood up using the table for support. "Could we see him now?"

"Of course, of course. Let me get someone to escort you down to the morgue. I appreciate your patience."

Mrs. Kringle extended her hand and walked toward the door. Esposito and Ryan left the observation room to meet her, while Castle stood glued to the glass. Unable to move away from the scene that unfolded before him. So many revelations, he didn't know where to start.

He was surprised to see Mrs. Kringle's daughter hang back for a moment and speak.

"Detective Beckett? Your first name is Kate correct?" Beckett nodded.

"I let my mother do most of the talking but I didn't want to leave without giving you this." She reached into her bag and pulled out a miniature snow sphere. Even from behind the glass Castle could see the iridescence and detail, although he couldn't see what was inside. "I've been working on it for a while. For a Kate I didn't know I knew. But its obviously for you and perhaps the design will mean something. It's an original but what my mother didn't say is that we don't always know where fate is taking us. We just follow along until the watch stops." She held up the piece and Castle could tell by her face that Beckett saw the hands moving.

"I really can't..." Beckett started saying while she stared at the prism, but the door had already closed.

She glanced up at the mirror, knowing who was behind it and held up the prism. Castle whispered "Merry Christmas, Kate" as he clearly saw a small silver castle among the gently falling snow.

end.


End file.
